Though it just opened in 2020, chef Ian Winslade’s modern Italian spot has already earned a place in Atlantan hearts. In the summer months, its rooftop is an airy perch to enjoy signature dishes such as honey-whipped ricotta and housemade pappardelle with lamb ragu and grana padano. For more casual bites, there’s the salame piccante pizza, Tre Vele’s take on pepperoni pizza; the vegano pie, featuring mushrooms, hazelnuts, and black truffle cashew cream, is a stunner, too.

Even diehard Atlantas will come out to the suburbs for this contemporary, chef-driven concept in East Cobb. When it opened in 2011, Seed Kitchen was the entrepreneurial debut for chef Doug Turbush, who once served as the executive chef for the now-shuttered Buckhead fine-dining spot, Bluepointe. Turbush is all about approachable neighborhood retreats (his other restaurants in the area include Stem Wine Bar) and local bounty. That ethos is evident in his creative plates.

Peru-born chef Mikiel Arnold hit the brakes on the food truck he started in 2014 to open a restaurant in 2018. Altantans now get their saltado fix at this beloved brick-and-mortar spot (though the truck is still bookable for private events). The most ordered version of that iconic stir-fried beef dish is the lomo saltado, a recipe Arnold picked up at one of Peru’s finest restaurants, Astrid y Gaston.

Fun fact: One of the top-rated beers in Georgia, Mexican Siberius Maximus, can be traced to Wrecking Bar Brewpub, a historic Willis Denny-designed Victorian mansion with a basement gastropub. But that doesn’t mean locals stick to that tried-and-true order here. Wrecking Bar’s rotating beer list changes with the seasons, making it impossible not to get adventurous. To accompany the brew, go for the white cheddar fondue, which comes with crudité and a big soft pretzel from a local German bakery.

Sweet Auburn BBQ is yet another adored food truck turned brick-and-mortar. Steered by brother and sister duo Howard and Anita Hsu (whose other sibling, Ron, is the force behind James Beard Award-winning Lazy Betty), the Asian-inspired spot settled into permanence in 2014. Locals love the jalapeño and cheddar cornbread, served with sorghum butter. But Sweet Auburn is renowned for its cutting-edge, fusion fare. Must-orders include the pimento cheese wontons and Wu Tang smoked wings.

With terroir in its name, it’s no surprise that this easygoing haunt is a local oenophile’s dream. Chef Charles Zeran is a seven-time Wine Spectator Award winner, while a couple of on-staff sommeliers ensure that every pairing is perfect. Locals know to ask for the “Somm vs. Somm” wine list, a weekly competition between the resident experts. A frequently edited menu makes this neighborhood spot worth returning to, as does one of Atlanta’s prettiest patios.

Opened in 1968, Nino’s is a revered red-sauce icon. The menu features recipes brought from the Amalfi Coast by owner Antonio Noviello himself, along with dishes inspired by his family members. For a true taste of comfort, dig into hearty classics such as oven-baked lasagna with housemade bolognese and bechamel, veal marsala, spaghetti vongole, and other timeless treasures in Nino’s dimly lit dining room.

If you want to know where Atlanta’s most discerning bourbon and whisky drinkers are, it’s Sprig. This restaurant may turn out delicious seasonal plates, but it’s the 550-bottle spirits list that draws a steady stream of loyal visitors. Pair your drams with dishes from the rich, Southern-inspired menu, such as salmon with corn pudding, pork chops with blueberry compote, and catfish and grits.

Casual and almost cafeteria-like, this local favorite flew below the radar after opening in 2014. That changed in 2017, when chef Rui Liu was nominated for a James Beard Award. Atlantans and visitors now flock to Duluth for his Sichuan, Hunan, and northern Chinese dishes, ordering Zhong-style pork dumplings with chile sauce, boiled fish in a chile stew, and fried crispy pork, among other plates. Dry hot pots are another specialty; the onion spicy dry pot chicken is a perennial favorite.

The tiny parking lot that El Rey del Taco shares with a BuHi strip mall is always filled with folks jostling for a spot. They’re here to feast at this acclaimed dive, where owner Martin Macias channels the flavors of his Guadajalara childhood to serve up some of Atlanta’s most beloved tacos. Sip an extra-large, extra-strong margarita beneath its hot pink walls and colorful banners as you wait for the popular beef and fish tacos. All are served on housemade corn tortillas.